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Birth

The birth of your child must be reported to your Swiss representation abroad so that the data in the various Swiss registers can be updated.

If your child is born abroad, the competent foreign authorities will not necessarily inform the Swiss representation. This is why you need to submit the required documents to your representation. The civil status authority in Switzerland is in charge of entering the information on the birth in its register.

If your child was born in Switzerland, you will also have to have this birth entered in the Register of the Swiss Abroad.

If your child is born abroad, this must be entered in the Swiss civil status register. This updating of the register is free of charge.

Please submit the following documents to your Swiss representation:

  • original birth certificate of your child
  • if you have a Swiss family certificate (formerly family record book) and you would like to have it updated, please submit that too, in the original, to your representation.

Every child who has at least one Swiss parent becomes a Swiss citizen (regardless of the marital status of the parents) provided that the birth is registered with the Swiss authorities.

To register the birth you should submit the birth certificate of your newborn together with the form “Questionnaire for Submission of Birth Documents” (see form below) to this Consulate General.

For children born in Hong Kong, please obtain a certified copy of the Birth Certificate with the Birth Registry of the area in which your child was born (see web link below for details): 

Addresses and Office Hours of Births Registries

This Consulate General will forward the birth certificate to the competent authorities in Switzerland for registration. The process may take up to 2 – 3 months. Once your child is registered in Switzerland you may apply for a biometric Swiss passport for your child (see passport information on this web site).

Should you need to travel with your baby before his or her birth is registered in Switzerland this Consulate General may issue a Swiss temporary passport with a limited validity in emergencies. It should also be noted that temporary passports are not biometric passports.

Questionnaire for Submission of Birth Documents (PDF, 1 Page, 120.4 kB, English)

Hong Kong Immigration Department:

Births and Deaths General Register Office

The original documents are submitted to the civil status authority concerned in Switzerland and must not be older than six months. They will not be returned. Photocopies are not accepted. Additional documents may be required if necessary.

The cost of a thorough verification, should it be necessary, of the foreign civil status documents by a lawyer approved by the Swiss representation are at your expense.

If your child is born abroad, this must be entered in the Swiss civil status register. This updating of the register is free of charge.

Please submit the following documents to your Swiss representation:

  • original birth certificate of your child
  • original official decree establishing filiation or recognition of paternity

If you (a parent) do not hold Swiss nationality and are not yet registered in the Swiss civil status register, please submit the following:

  • original birth certificate
  • original civil status record at the time of your child's birth:
    a) certificate establishing that they are unmarried
    b) divorce decree that specifies when it entered into force
    c) dissolution decree that specifies when it entered into force
    d) death certificate of deceased spouse/partner
  • original certificate of current residence
  • copy of passport

Please note the following points regarding the above documents:

  • Birth Certificate of foreign parent issued within last 6 months;
  • Evidence of marital status of foreign parent (e.g. Certificate of Registered Particulars or Certificate of Absence of Marriage Record)

The original documents are submitted to the civil status authority concerned in Switzerland and must not be older than six months. They will not be returned. Photocopies are not accepted. Additional documents may be required if necessary.

The cost of a thorough verification, should it be necessary, of the foreign civil status documents by a lawyer approved by the Swiss representation are at your expense.

If your child was born in Switzerland, this must also be reported to the Swiss representation abroad responsible for the location where the child is currently domiciled so that the data in the Register of the Swiss Abroad can be updated. These updates are free of charge.

Please submit one of the following documents (electronically or on paper):

  • copy of your child's birth certificate
    or
  • copy of the Swiss family certificate (formerly family record book) including your child, if available

If your child was born abroad, you must order their birth certificate from the authority concerned of the country in question.

Click here to order a certificate of your child's birth if they were born in Switzerland: 

Order Swiss civil status documents

Information on Swiss citizenship is available at 

Citizenship

Are your children Swiss or can they become Swiss? (PDF, 2 Pages, 321.2 kB, English)

For information on your child acquiring the nationality of the country they were born in, please contact the authorities concerned of the country in question.

A standard Swiss identity document can only be issued if the child's birth has been entered in the Swiss civil status register, and if the Swiss nationality of the child born has been confirmed by the civil status authority concerned. In case of emergency, please contact your Swiss representation.

For a residence permit for your child's stays abroad, please contact the appropriate foreign authorities.

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Last update 29.11.2022